600mm? Ha! 10k for that sucker!
I had the 70-300 and was able to get fantastic shots, but only in the day. Just doesn't perform well in low light. I wish I'd never sold it.
LOL... 600, I be happy with a nice 400. Hell, my 70 / 300 is almost useless with a polarizing filter at dusk. I do like the lens, and it's served me well. I vividly remember the first time I shot with it. I had been on the staff of ES for a bit over a year, and was given the gift of a lifetime... I got to cover a home game. The past year, I had covered the Tampa game using a borrowed camera from Art. Don't know why, but he never posted any pics. When I saw the schedule, and confirmed I didn't misread it for the 25th time, I knew it was the exact moment I had to make the switch from film to digital. Didn't really have any bread, so I sold my second motorcycle, and on the recommendation of Boone, picked up my first Canon, a standard lens, and the 70 / 300. Got the rig about two and a half weeks before the game. Dam thing had so many buttons and such, I thought I was screwed, and would let everybody down, so I went out and quickly realized I could use it exactly the same as my 35mm. Shot my daughters soccer games, and two football games, and it was off to DC. I don't even remember where I was the night before wit a bunch of the ES members, and took a call from another staffer. When he heard I didn't get the lens with stabilization, I got a 10 minute lecture on how my shots were going to come out like shit. Just what I needed the night before my shoot of a lifetime. It's old hat for you, but it was the first home game I ever attended no less. It was truly an amazing day. I only pissed one pro shooter on the sidelines when I didn't realize he was leaning over me as I knelt. We had a big play, and I jumped up, tagging his lens with my head, slamming his camera into his face. They weren't the most friendly group, excepting one guy who was very cool the entire day, not treating me as an outsider. Showing him some of my shots, he told me I had to be the luckiest som bitch there, nailing three TD's while standing at the goal line.
JC had a career day, lighting up Detroit in a big way. It was a dream come true, and the pics were as good as you could get with a medium format body, and an average lens. Even catching those three scores, the money shot was the shot of Sean as he took of with the ball after intercepting. Needless to say, the other staffer never said another word. That Monday I was thrilled when I got contacted about use of the photo by a news agency for an online story.
That old lens and I have been through a lot over the years, but the first shoot will always be the most special.
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